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Are you happy? That’s a question you don’t get asked every day, nor is it a question you probably ask yourself. But what does it really mean to be truly happy? Is it a goal or a trap? Many seem to think that with the right formula, happiness is easy to achieve.
Webster’s dictionary defines happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment.” But it’s not as simple as that. Since 2003, Wikipedia has even struggled to find a definition of happiness that we could all agree on. The original statement that drew so much attention, has been constantly edited by the masses ever since. Why? Because everyone has a different definition of happiness. It’s the one state of being that we all strive towards in life no matter what our background, age, race or life goals.
Canada’s Stance
A national survey by Statistics Canada showed that “In 2018, average life satisfaction among Canadians was 8.09 on the 0-to-10 scale—about the same as it had been in each of the three years prior. But by June 2020, average life satisfaction had declined to 6.71—a decline of 1.38 points on the scale.”
Another online study that was reported on by the Canadian Global News showed that “High happiness scores remained steady at 44 percent for participants between the ages of 18 and 54, but spiked to 61 percent after age 55.”
“[Nowadays] Millennials are asking for more, and part of being happy is being happy with what you have. 55 and over is happiest because they’re in the place they want to be: retired,” says Dave Scholz, President of Communications at Leger, the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, in the Global News interview.
But what changed? Perhaps as our society evolved and productivity, external achievements and wealth rose to the forefront, our level of fulfillment got pushed out of the way. At the same time, however, not having financial stability or certain material possessions can put any one individual or family under a lot of stress. This is exactly why attaining happiness does not look the same for everyone.
Viewing Happiness Through a Different Lens
The expansion of happiness reaches so many aspects of our lives. Regardless of what your definition of success means, if it didn’t bring you happiness, you probably wouldn’t think your goals would be worth attaining in the first place. So, what level of success brings deep, fulfilling, long-lasting happiness? We have been taught to believe that external achievements like money, power and a thriving career and family life will make us happy, and it’s different for everyone.
The trap seems to lie in thinking that there is a formula to achieving happiness.
Beauty Is in the Eyes of the Beholder
In choosing how we live our lives, it’s not very black and white. There’s a vast grey area in which each of us finds something to strive towards, which we believe will bring us genuine fulfillment. Here, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Something one person
considers worthless is considered valuable by another. There is no one path that everyone should follow; one universal secret to happiness. Rather, we should follow our inner voice – the voice that guides us towards our purpose. We should focus on the things, both large and small, that bring us joy because it is in those moments of intuition that we are lead to contentment.
In working with clients struggling with grief, loss, and mental health issues, I’ve noticed firsthand the benefits of professional therapy. If you would like to learn more about how I work or schedule an appointment for anxiety and depression therapy in Vancouver, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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